Wrist-watch fastener



Patented Dec. '10, 19.29

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRI AUGUS'DE HEUGAS, OF PARIS, FRANCE i WRIST-WATCH FASTENER Application filed November 9, 19 27, Serial No. 232,176. and in Luxemburg March 25, 1927.

' invention relates to wrist-watches and more particularly to animproved strap fastening means therefor.-

One of the objects of the inventionis to provide a fastening means of the character indicated which shall engage the strap carriers of the watch and which shall automatically be opened when released by a manually controlled button.

.0 Another object of the invention is to provide the strap fasteners with anornamentation resembling the strap or bracelet upon which they are mounted in order to give the appearance that the strap or bracelet has v5 been passed around the strap" carrier.

The invention is comprised in certain novel forms, construction, and combination of parts, the objects of which are to provide reliable devices for the purposes stated and to cheapen the cost of manufacture, all of which will hereinafter be fully described and claimed.

Other objects of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification and in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a wrist watch with my improved strap fastening means applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational View of a strap fastener, per se, in closed position;

F ig. 3 is an end View looking from the right in Fig. 2; I

" Fig. 4 is an end View looking from the left in Fig. '3; Q

Fig. 5 is a front elevational viewof a strap fastener, per se, in'open position;

Fig. 6 is an end View looking from the right in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an endview looking from the left in Fig. 3; r

Fig. 8 is a detail with parts broken away illustrating the locking means; and d Fig. 9 is a section along the line 99 of L5 8; I p I As shown in the drawing, my improved strap fastenericomprises an external gripping' member a and an nternal gr pp ng member 6, the surface of the former being decorated, by stamping, preferably to represent the loose links of abracelet a) upon which it is fastened in such wise as to give the efiect of a prolongation thereof.

The said gripping members are hingedtogether by means of a hinge comprising a plurality of spaced lugs a and b comforming 'to the links of bracelet w and carried respectively by the members a and I; through which an assembling pin 0 extends. In assembling the bracelet 02, links on each end thereof are disposed in the spaces between lugs a and 6 (Figs. 2 and 5) before passing the pin 0 therethrough, so that the said lugs and links occupy a dovetailed relation similar to the successive links of bracelet w. The

members a and I) each terminates respective-- ly in a claw a and b which overlap when the said members are in closedposition and are adapted to encircle the usual strapcarriers y of a wrist watch y.

Two square tubular members e and f are soldered to the member a in spaced relation but in alignment with each other. A locking bolt (1 is mounted to slide in the members 0 and f. Said locking bolt is provided at its extremity with a rod 9 upon which is mountz ed-a button 9 which is adapted to normally occupy a position against the tube f when the locking bolt d is moved to closed position by means of a spring h mounted on rod 9 and bearing against the said locking bolt, the

other extremity of'the said spring bearing against the interior end wall of thextube f.

' The other extremity of locking bolt d is provided with a fiat inclined cam surface d Soldered to the member I) is a short length of square tubing 71 adapted to cooperate with the cam surface d. The said tube z is adapted to receive the end of bolt (1 provided with the cam surface al when the members a and b are moved toclosed position.

Also soldered to the member 6 is a split square tube j which 1s d1sposed opposite to the space between the tubes 6 and f on member a and in alignment with the member '5.

Bolt (1 is providedzwith a reduced portion d so .disposedthat .it'is covered by the tube 6 when said bolt is pressed to thefe'xtreme position to the left, and is moved to a position opposite the memberj when the bolt (1 is moved to its extreme position to the right under the action of member 2' and cam surface d Encircling the pin 0 are a pair of coiled springs k whose ends bear against the members a and respectively and oppose the closing thereof so that the said members fly open when released.

The above described snap claspis employed as follows:

Amume the clasp to be in an open position as shown Figs. 5 to 7. Members at and b are then snapped over the strap carrier 3 on the watch 3 The claws a and b move to overlapping relation and embrace the strap carrier y. During this operation the tube 2' moves along the cam surface d and. pushes the bolt d to the right. The parts are so arranged with respect to one another that when the bolt d is about to enter the member 5, the re.- duced portion d on said bolt will occupy a osition exactly opposite the arms of memer j, which spring over the said reduced portion and allow the bolt d to move to the left whereby the members a and d are locked in closed position .due to the fact that the extremity of bolt d has entered the tube 11 and an enlarged portionthereofhas entered the member j at the same time under the influence of the spring h. 4 a

.When it is desired to remove the wriststrap it is merely necessary to pull out on the button 9 and cause the bolt d to be displaced to the right. This liberates the members i and j may be automatically released therefronr at,

carried respectively by the gripping members a and b which automatically fly open and cause the claws a and b to disengage the strap carrier 3 It will thus be seen that my invention provides an invisible strap fastener for wrist watches which is a plied by merely snapping the fastener over t e strap carrier and which 'Patent is:

1. A strap fastener for wrist watches com.-

prising a pair of hinged overlapping hook members, means for moving saidhook members to an open position, a spring latch onone of said members, a plurality of latch receiving means on the ot er of said members, and means including a cam operated by one of said latch receiving means adapted to cause said latch receiving means and said latch to auto-' .matically interlock when said members are moved to closed position.

2. A strap fastener for wrist watches com prising a pairof hinged members, means for moving said members to an open position, a

spring latch on one of said members, a plui-ality of latch receiving means on the other ofsaid members, means including a cam operated by one of said latch receiving-means adapted to cause said latch receiving means i and said latch to automatically interlock when said members are moved to closed posi- 3. A strap fastener for wrist watches comprising a pair of hinged gripping members, means for moving said gripping members to an open position, a pair of spaced tubes cars ried by one of said members, a slidable latching bar mounted in said tubes, a cam formed on one extremity of said latching bar, a look ing tube on-the other of said members adapted to cooperate with said cam and engage said latching bar and a second locking tube mounted on said last mentioned member adapted to engage said latching bar at the time said bar enters said first mentioned locking tube. t. A strap fastener for wrist watches comprising a pair of hinged gripping members, means for moving said gripping members to an open position, a pair of spaced tubes carriedby one of said members, a slidable latching bar mounted in said tubes, a cam formed on one extremity of said latching bar, a locking tube onthe other of saidmembers disposed opposite said cam and adapted to move said latching bar longitudinally when said gripping members are closed and subsequently engage said latching bar, a second locking tube mounted on said last mentioned member, a slot formed in said second t'gube and a normally concealed reduced portion formed on. said bar and adapted to move into operative relation with said slot immediately prior to the entry of said latching bar into said first mentioned locking tube.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification at Paris (France) this 28th day of October, 1927.

, HENRI AUGUSTE HEUGAS. 

